Dental Terms

Abrasion: Mechanical wearing down of teeth

Abutment: The supporting natural teeth of removeable or non-removeable bridge

Acrylic: A synthetic sunbstance that is used in commercial restorative material such as a composite filling.

Allergy: Hypersensitivity of man to a foreign protein

Alveolar Bone: The jaw bone that anchors the roots of the teeth

Alveolectomy: The surgical reshaping of the alveolar right

Amalgam: a silver/mercury mixture which is used for restoring lost tooth structure

Anesthesia: Loss of feeling
(Local): Loss of feeling in a localized area
(General): Loss of feeling with a loss of consciousness

Anesthetic: A drug that produces either local or general anethesia

Antibiotic: A drug used to destroy pathogenic microorganisms

Antiseptic: An agent that stops or inhibits the growth of bacteria

Bite: An impression that shows the relationship between the maxillary and the mandibular teeth

Bitewing: A type of x-rays used to help diagnose cavities between the back teeth

Bridge: An artificial replacement for missing teeth in an arch

Calculus: A hard deposit that may accumulate on the crowns and roots of the teeth

Caries: Dental decay

Cavity: The lesion that is produced by the disease of caries

Cementem: The hard, bone like covering of the root of the tooth

Composite: White coloured filling material

Crown: A) The part of the tooth that is covered with enamel
B) An artificial replacement of a pertion of a tooth

Cusp: A point on the grinding surface of a tooth

Deciduous: The primary teeth. Teeth that fall out at the end of the development stage which are then replaced by the secondary teeth

Dentin: The bone like structure which makes up the bulk of the tooth

Dental Implant: Titanium screw surgically placed in the bone to provide support for a dental restoration or appliance

Denture: Artificial replacement of all the teeth in a given arch

Edentulous: Without teeth

Enamel: The hardest substance in the body that covers the crown of the tooth

Endodontics: The dental specialty which deals with the diagnosis and treatment of the pulp and periapical tissues

Eruption: The movement of the tooth into its working position in the mouth

Extraction: Removing the tooth from the alveolar bone

Flouride: A chemical which is effective in reducing dental decay when applied on the teeth surface or taken orally.

Gingiva: The specialized oral mucosa that covers the aveolar bone and surrounds the teeth. Also referred to as gums

Gingavitis: Inflammation of the gums

Hemorrage: Excessive flow of blood

Impression: A mold of an area of the mouth, usually of an entire arch

Inlay: A restoration shaped like the form of a cavity and inserted with cement into the tooth

Malocculsion: Abnormal occulsion of the maxillary and mandibular arches

Mandible: Lower Jaw

Mandibular: Pretaining to the lower jaw

Maxiallry: Pretaining to the upper jaw bone

Night Guard: Acrylic appliance used to prevent wear and temporomandibular damage caused by grinding or clenching of the teeth usually during sleep

Nitrous Oxide: A gas used in dentistry as an analgesia to relieve hypertension and raise the pain threshold during dental procedures, sometimes called laughing gas

Occlude: to close the teeth

Occlusion: The act of bringing opposing surfaces of the teeth of the two jaws into contact

Operatory: A room where dental patients are treated. Treatment Room

Oral Surgery: A surgery specializing in extraction of teeth, and with other surgical procedures on the jaw, oral tissues, and adjacent tissues

Panorex: An extra oral radiograph (x-ray) exposure showing the maxiallary and the mandibular areas in one film

Partial Denture: Removeable denatl prosthesis (appliance) replacing one or more teeth

Pathology: Branch of medicine or dentistry that deals with the study of the causes and effects of disease

Pedodontiscs: A dental specialty that deals with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of dental disorders in children.

Periapical: The area around the tip of the rooth of the tooth

Periapical Abscess: A localized area of pus found at the tip of the rooth of a tooth

Periodontal: The area surrounding the tooth

Periodontal Abscess: A localized area of pus located in the periodontal tissues, but not specifically at the apex of the root

Periodontal Disease: Pathology which effects the tissues around the tooth

Periodontal Ligament: A series of bundles of fibers which support the tooth

Periodontal Pocket: A diseased are in which the gingival sulcus has become greater then 3mm in depth

Periodontics: That dental specialty concerned with the study, prevention and treatment of diseases in the tissues and the bone supporting the teeth

Permentant Dentition: Normally consists of 32 teeth which are designed to function throughout adult life

Pit: A depression in the surfuce of the tooth

Plaque: A bacterial patch that forms on the exposed surfaces of a tooth

Pontic: The artificial tooth or teeth that replaces missing teeth on a bridge or partial dneture

Post-Operative: Occurs after the operation

Prophylaxis: Polish that is applied to the surface of the tooth to prevent disease

Prosthesis: An artificial substitute that is used when a part is missing

Prosthodontics: That dental specialty dealing with the replacement of missing teeth and with the replacement of other missing or deformed oral structures by artificial substitutes

Pulp: The sensitive living tissue of the tooth which is made up of nerves and blood vessels held together by connective tissue and is located in the pulp chamber and root canals of the tooth

Pulp Chamber: The area formed by the dentin in the crown of the tooth to protect the pulp

Pulpitis: Infalmmation of the dental pulp

Pulpotomy: The removal of the pulp tissue from the crown portion of the tooth

Radiograph: An x-ray image

Resortaion: The method of replacing a missing portion of a tooth or replacing teeth by artificial substitutes (filling)

Root: The part of the tooth which is covered with cementum and which helps to hold the tooth in it's boney socket

Root Canal: The continuance of the pulp chamber through the root of the tooth

Rubber Dam: Latex sheet usd to isolate one or more teeth form contamination by oral fluids and to keep materials from falling to the back of the throat during the dental procedure

Scaling and Root Planning: Removal of plaque and calculus from the tooth surface above and below the gum line

Supernumerary Tooth: Duplicate tooth. It may be erupted or it may stay under the gums.

Tartar: Layman's term for calculus

Temporomandibular Joint: The joint where the mandible articulates ( hinges) with the skull

Tooth Whitening: a chemical process to lighten the colour of the teeth

Trauma- Injury caused by decay, external force, chemicals, temperature extremes, or poor tooth alignment

Treatment Plan: An explanation to the patient of exactly what the dentist reccommends as treatment and the approximate cost (estimate)

Veneers: Porcelain facing, bonded directly to a tooth to improve the tooths appearance

Wisdom tooth: Third molar

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